Christmas brings love and generosity, giving to the needy and our loved ones, and beautiful decorations and liturgies. 

And we can find ways to keep our peace so that the heart of the season is not lost in the secular seasonal fray. As we make Christmas holier, we can celebrate Advent well and embody the true spirit of Christmas. 

On social media, people were quick to share how they live in the spirit of Advent during the four weeks preceding Christmas, including lighting candles on their Advent wreath and pairing it with prayers and reading Christmas stories with their children. 

“Our children still love our Jesse tree and reading the daily Scripture of salvation history that pairs with an ornament that is hung on the Jesse tree, which ultimately ends with the birth of our Savior,” explained Mary Fleck. (Find Jesse tree and other Advent resources at EWTN Religious Catalogue.)

Some mentioned baking a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas. And Advent calendars are popular, too. “Even though I’m by myself,” Linda Katsolis said, “I still put up my big wooden Advent calendar with a huge star and the Bethlehem scenes and then I have a crèche with candles that makes a circle for my dining room table that I light for each week leading up to Christmas.” 

“We use those chocolate Advent calendars and ask the kids after night prayers (but before they’ve brushed their teeth), ‘What sweet thing did you do for Jesus today?’” Shannon Marie Federoff explained about another heartfelt custom. 

Singing during Advent and having a song before opening gifts was another frequent custom. Susan Schwieters shared that her grandchildren have a song about lighting the candles (battery operated for safety) and sing the related verse. “Light one candle for love; one bright candle for love. He brings love to every heart.’ It continues with: joy, peace, mercy, hope, strength, mercy, life, light, etc.”

Kent Keller has a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, four-piece Nativity set hand-carved out of white clay purchased from the artist in Assisi, Italy. “Beginning with the first week of Advent, we take out one piece and read a related Scripture passage until the fourth week, when all four pieces are displayed,” he said.

As for Christmas traditions, families are rooted in faith-filled memories.

Vanessa Denha Garmo, a Chaldean Catholic, shared: “As our last name, Denha, in Aramaic means ‘Epiphany,’ we never took down the Nativity before ‘Denha Day,’ the feast of the Epiphany. The focus was always on Baby Jesus. Chaldeans speak the language Christ spoke.”

Dottie Borowski grew up on a dairy farm, and after crops were harvested, the family sold Christmas trees. 

“The tree and presents did not appear until Christmas morning,” she said. “This was after celebrating Jesus’ birth at church and school plays. Jesus was celebrated first.” Dorothy Pilarski, founder of Dynamic Women of Faith, shared her family’s Polish tradition of oplatki. White Christmas wafers, symbolizing reconciliation, forgiveness and the unity of the family, are shared after placing dried hay under the tablecloth to represent the manger where Jesus was born. “Family members ‘break bread’ by breaking off pieces of the wafer and extend heart-filled, soul-filled best wishes for the upcoming year before the Christmas Eve supper,” she explained. 

According to Pattie Frandson, keeping the memory of beloved son Daniel, who died on his 24th birthday, has put even deeper meaning in attending midnight Mass. “We get to visit his candle and plaque after Mass, but we get to visit him during Mass when heaven meets earth,” she said. “We sit in the pew where we always sat with him, as we do every Sunday, and we save him his seat.”

Here are other simple, creative ways to infuse spiritual gift giving into the holiday through small, consistent acts of love and faith. 

 

Before Christmas

• Give spiritual gifts: Offer Mass enrollments or write a card explaining you will pray an hour of adoration for someone. Include family and friends, and don’t forget your pastor. 
•  Donate generously: Give away items you genuinely like (money included).
• Prepare for the future: Buy enough Nativity stamps to use throughout the year.
• Serve others: Volunteer at a community Christmas dinner or any charitable organization that needs help. Studies show you end up feeling better (even recovering from grief) as you help others. 
•  Be a secret Santa: Discreetly help someone in need. 

 

During Christmas

•  Hang a stocking for Jesus. Fill it with notes and prayer intentions during Advent. You can pray for those intentions in the stockings every night. 
• Make a manger. Use pieces of straw or cut them out to fill the manger with your prayers and sacrifices for the Christ Child. 
•  Invite others. Host someone who is alone for Christmas dinner.
•  Express appreciation. Write letters of appreciation to put in people’s stockings or cards.
•  Incorporate the “little way” of St. Thérèse. Refuse yourself something small at meals, like mustard, and offer the sacrifice for a prayer intention.

 

After Christmas

•  Stockpile and donate. Keep an eye on after-Christmas sales to buy items like warm clothes to donate next year. 
•  Mark your calendar for the new year for such things as an hour of adoration designated for each individual family member or a week dedicated to that person in prayer and sacrifice or a Rosary. 

 

Continue the Spirit

The Christmas season extends beyond Dec. 25, and the spirit of giving is a perfect gateway to integrate new, holy habits next year, allowing the light of Christ to push away the darkness.